Rep. Amanda Reeve Fixes Polluter's Ticket

Researchers at Don't Waste Arizona have been reviewing public records at environmental agencies for over twenty years, but we have never seen this before - a state representative, the chair of the House Environment Committee, fixing the ticket for her friends. You can see for yourself:

In March 2011, Phoenix SCORE had an event about how to start a business. You'd think complying with environmental regulations might be part of the presentation, but instead, a severe violation of our dust control rules occurred instead. A citizen complained and the appropriate investigators from the county air agency showed up and conducted the tests. They found dusty conditions that were many times the allowable amounts for dust and silt and issued a Notice of Violation.

There are no laws in Arizona against this. Maybe because no one ever thought that this could even happen, just like there were no laws against bestiality until someone was caught doing it.

Amanda Reeve stated recently that she had no recollection of this incident when she was confronted about it. She also did not remember not allowing testimony from Don't Waste Arizona's president, Steve Brittle, at a legislative hearing on February 22, 2011, about the air quality problems in Maricopa County. He sent her this to Reeve and her fellow Environment Committee members in an email. Of course, Reeve is only interested in helping polluters pollute, and not in seriously stopping the severe air pollution problems here in Maricopa County.

These dust laws are important. Dust (particulate matter) in our air is a huge problem in Maricopa County . High levels of particulate matter in the air can lead to extra asthma, excess and premature death, especially among the elderly, and can spread the spores of valley fever. The levels of particulate matter in the air in Maricopa County are so high that the Environmental Protection Agency is threatening to sanction Maricopa County for failing to meet the federal air quality standards for particulate matter by removing a billion dollars in federal highway funds. This is a sanction under the rules of the federal Clean Air Act. All of the types of other sanctions and extra time to come up with a plan to comply with the federal air quality standards have been exhausted. Click here for more facts about dust pollution.

Have an air pollution violation ticket that you would like to have go away? Arizona State Representative Amanda Reeve can be a handy friend to be able to ask a favor from.

Reeve is not really interested in solving our severe air pollution problems. She blocked testimony about the issue, but you can read it yourself.